New Form Factors For Xbox 360?

[aubergine]

I've lost the article, but there was a very tenuous comment from (Steve Ballmer I think) that could be interpreted as saying new form factor/s for Xbox 360 could be on the horizon. It was vague enough to sound like it's not even at sketch stage, but he said (words to the effect) that it was notable to him that there was no variety in form factors for 360 - probably in comparison to slim ps3's and the 37 forms of each of Nintendo's main platforms.

(yes, I'm saying that the GBA/DS line is their main platforms. Wii has yet to show any sustainability as a platform beyond it's success as a hardware fad.)

My question then is what form factors would people even want? I'd certainly like a 360 that was more like a Wii, but I've also been wondering why I can't play my Live Arcade games on some kind of handheld or even on my computer if I'm logged in. Can we expect a Microsoft ZunePad with touch enabled Castle Crashers and two-finger Geometry Wars?

[AranchineD]

Multi-disc tray

[aubergine]

Multi-disc tray

Wow, I'd never have considered that for a console, but given how common it is in stereos it makes a kind of sense.

I say "kind of" because I'm very wary (as would I think Microsoft) of adding complex mechanical aspects to a piece of hardware already renowned for its failure rate. As a rule I would never buy one of those multidisc DVD players as it boosts the odds of hardware failure.

That said, if the way forward for 360 is multi-disc games (which seems likely) then an SKU with that feature in mind is not beyond reason. I think it's pretty unlikely though, Microsoft will prefer to move towards upgrades to downloadable or installed games. I think they should go with two-disc releases with an Install Disc and a Game Disc, and to hell with people with Arcade consoles.

[TrinityJayOne]

Multi-disc tray
Can you imagine what the original would have been like with two drives? You'd have to keep the actual console in a separate, sound-isolated room.

I think they should go with two-disc releases with an Install Disc and a Game Disc, and to hell with people with Arcade consoles.
Until disc technology catches up, I agree 100%. Some games already give the finger to people playing on SD, lack of HDD shouldn't be any different, but only because they've phased out the non-HDD units and made it incredibly easy for those without to upgrade.

[SOX]

Built in HD-DVD

[AranchineD]

Look people, I'm an ideas man, those eggheads up in New York can work out the specifics.

[aubergine]

Look people, I'm an ideas man, those eggheads up in New York can work out the specifics.

I think it's a really interesting idea but the nature of forum conversation is to tell you why you're wrong about all things.

[fishfishmonkeyhat]

Make the case as big as a PC tower so you can spread the internals apart (hot! [literally!]), then chuck in like six fans.

[aubergine]

Which would be enough to make is hover six inches off the ground. That would be ****ing cool.

[Mr.Mew]

I'd like it triangular.

The multidisc thing is cool too. I remember when the original plans for the PS3 had it looking like a mushroom with a three disc stack in it.

[Lazlow]

Gaming Console/Media Centre/Internet Portal/Sandwich Griller.

[StorminNorman]

but I've also been wondering why I can't play my Live Arcade games on some kind of handheld or even on my computer if I'm logged in. Can we expect a Microsoft ZunePad with touch enabled Castle Crashers and two-finger Geometry Wars?

Microsoft actually demonstrated this (http://gizmodo.com/5487232/microsoft-demos-game-across-windows-phone-7-xbox-360-and-windows-7) at TechEd last week.

As to new 360 form factors, the most obvious one is a model without any optical drives at all.

[AranchineD]

Well now that's just the stupidest idea I've heard all week.

[Xanafalgue]

Inevitable, isn't it? I would buy a slim 360, day 1, no questions.

[aubergine]

Because of the hard drive they might find it difficult to make a completly elegant new form but I think something akin to the Wii, with an indentation for the HDD on the large flat side insteAd of the top (so it is flush when inserted) would be great. If they could do the self loading drive and message light all the better (maybe in green instead of blue...)

[Bokracroc]

to hell with people with Arcade consoles.
Yes. This.
**** those idiots holding the whole damn thing back. PS3 has mandatory installs for certain games and it's better for it, more resources to play with then.

[Nic Xtreme]

Yes. This.
**** those idiots holding the whole damn thing back. PS3 has mandatory installs for certain games and it's better for it, more resources to play with then.

Noooooooo. The worst two things about the PS3 are (1) mandatory installs and (2) massive title updates. **** that bullshit.

[StorminNorman]

Well now that's just the stupidest idea I've heard all week.

Why? Microsoft know that DVD in their next console is a death warrant, and they suffer from a severe case of Not-Invented-Here syndrome that will prevent them from ever putting a Blu-Ray drive in an XBox product. With that in mind, it stands to reason that the future of XBox is download-only.

[freeradical]

it stands to reason that the future of XBox is download-only.

Then they need a 'form factor' that does not include 'proprietry Hard Drives'. Replace the DVD Drive with a nice swappable 3.5" hard drive bay (they would still be able to link that particular drive to 'that' console for rights management of DLC).
OR
How about a specific 360 NAS (geez, they could even use the exisitng case if they wanted to) for storage of Games and Movies (from the marketplace) and then networked (wired/wirelessly)to the 360's in your home (some people have more than 1). Mind you, they would need to make it reasonable in price. HA!!!

[AranchineD]

Well now that's just the stupidest idea I've heard all week.

**** those idiots holding the whole damn thing back. PS3 has mandatory installs for certain games and it's better for it, more resources to play with then.

I stand corrected.

Why? Microsoft know that DVD in their next console is a death warrant, and they suffer from a severe case of Not-Invented-Here syndrome that will prevent them from ever putting a Blu-Ray drive in an XBox product. With that in mind, it stands to reason that the future of XBox is download-only.

No console will ever-ever-ever-ever-ever-EVER be download-only, ESPECIALLY following the complete f*** up that the PSPGo was. There's new optical formats being invented at a much faster rate nowadays anyway, so who's to say the next Xbox won't have an optical drive better than Blu-ray? And even if that is just a pipe dream, is there any actual evidence that the next Xbox wouldn't use Blu-ray, or are you just relying on crackpot predictions of the industry?

[Stevorooni]

Should just go back to good old reliable cartridges

[Clockw0rk]

Should just go back to good old reliable cartridges
Given the low price of flash storage nowadays, is this actually a viable option?

[Lazlow]

SDXC with the SD4.0 spec makes it pretty viable (300Mbyte/sec transfer speed, 2TB max capacity)... dunno about the cost though.

If need be, I doubt MS would have issues working with BD; just as they have no issues working with DVD.

[StorminNorman]

Then they need a 'form factor' that does not include 'proprietry Hard Drives'. Replace the DVD Drive with a nice swappable 3.5" hard drive bay (they would still be able to link that particular drive to 'that' console for rights management of DLC).


First up, the 360's DRM system is broken because it relies on that functionality. Microsoft need to come up with a better solution that punishes consumers less.

Secondly, I absolutely agree that the 360 needs user-upgradeable HDDs.


No console will ever-ever-ever-ever-ever-EVER be download-only

Why do you hate the future so much?

Should just go back to good old reliable cartridges

I was thinking about this after I posted here the other day, actually. A cartridge based system would actually be even better than BRD because you're not restricted by the capacity of the optical disc medium, game saves can be stored on the cartridge again (yay!) and there's less potential for failure of the unit, as you're taking out the second-biggest point of failure in the system (the DVD-ROM drive).

It would also allow for a much smaller form factor. I think that, if MS did this, they'd use a proprietory cartridge like the DS does, rather than standard flash memory form factors.

I, for one, welcome the return of our cartridge-based gaming overlords.

[aubergine]

The future is cassettes.

[sausage]

1. Built-in wireless

2. Blu-ray drive

[aubergine]

I dislike built in wireless, because I often have to run a usb extention lead with the dongle to get a good signal. I think the dongle should be packed in or as cheap as possible. I think they are nuts to put this huge price barrier between people getting on Live - Live is the biggest money sink of all, so easy to spend a little bit more.

The built in wireless in Wii actually had it at a disadvantage for me in my living room of the time, because there was no signal in that room.

[Bokracroc]

Why do you hate the future so much?
Because we're stuck in the past here.

[Lex]

Stuck in a dog more like it HAWWWWWW

[freeradical]

Rumor, so take it as that, but http://kotaku.com/5495181/rumor-new-xbox-360-model-slims-down

[Stevorooni]

If it's cheap and reliable then I'd probably buy one when my 360 inevitibly dies outside of warranty

[fishfishmonkeyhat]

My thoughts exactly but instead of you, you give it to me.

[freeradical]

Eurogamer's analysis of the possible revised motherboard
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-xbox-360-slim-blog-entry

2 SATA Ports
No mounting holes for the DVD Drive-speculate 'slot loader'
No apparent wifi chipset
Toslink SPDIF on board ?

"Even if it's not a 360 Slim, the radical change in form factor and mounting holes means that this revision of motherboard cannot physically fit inside the current shell and certainly not with the current DVD drive."